Submittal register built straight from the spec book
The submittal register is the master list of every submittal the contract documents require, written before anything has been submitted. Get it right at buyout and every package that follows has a row waiting for it. Get it wrong and the gap shows up months later at the delivery dock, or as a punch item nobody can close.
Submittal register and submittal log are different tools
The register says what the contract requires. It is fixed by the specifications and drawings and changes only with addenda, bulletins and change orders. The log is the register plus everything that happens to each item: transmittals, review dates, stamps, revisions and who holds the package today.
| Submittal register | Submittal log | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers | What the contract requires | Where each item stands now |
| Built from | Specifications, drawings and addenda | The register plus transmittals and stamps |
| Changes when | Addenda, bulletins and change orders arrive | A package is submitted, reviewed or returned |
| Owned by | The project engineer at buyout | Everyone on the review route |
| Used for | Subcontract scope and completeness checks | Weekly status, OAC meetings and schedule risk |
Many teams use the two words for the same spreadsheet. In Submittal the register is the base and the submittal log grows from it, so no row exists in the log without a spec requirement behind it.
Where submittal requirements sit in a spec section
In the three-part section format the main list is in Part 1, usually article 1.3 or 1.4 Submittals, often split into action submittals, informational submittals and closeout submittals. A register built only from that article misses requirements written elsewhere.
- Part 1 quality assurance articles that call for installer qualifications, manufacturer certificates or a mockup.
- Part 2 paragraphs that ask for a mix design or color selection, for example in 03 30 00 Cast-in-Place Concrete.
- Part 3 field quality control articles that call for test reports, such as the final report in 23 05 93 Testing, Adjusting and Balancing.
- Division 01 sections such as 01 33 00 Submittal Procedures and 01 78 00 Closeout Submittals, which set format, review time and the turnover list.
- Drawing notes and schedules that call for a submittal the spec text never repeats.
Reading every part of every section is the slow part of building a register, and it is the part Submittal does for you.
What each register row holds
- Spec section and title, for example 07 54 23 TPO Roofing.
- Paragraph reference, such as 1.4.B.2, linked to the exact spec text.
- Submittal type: product data, shop drawings, samples, test reports, certificates, warranties, O&M data, mockups or sustainability documentation.
- Category: action, informational or closeout.
- Description quoted from the spec, not paraphrased.
- Responsible company, the subcontractor who bought that scope.
- Reviewer route, GC first, then the architect and any consultant named in the section.
- Required-by date and a typical lead time field.
One requirement, one row. "Submit product data and shop drawings" in 08 71 00 Door Hardware becomes two rows, because the two are reviewed and stamped separately. The hardware schedule, the keying schedule and the warranty each get their own row as well.
How Submittal builds the register from your specs
- Upload the project manual as a PDF, scanned pages included, or upload single sections as they are issued.
- The AI finds each MasterFormat section number and title and reads the submittal language in the section.
- Each requirement becomes a row with its paragraph reference, so the source text opens next to the row.
- You review the register, merge duplicates, split combined items and add anything that comes from the drawings.
- Assign rows to companies and reviewers in bulk, set review times, and the register becomes the working log.
When an addendum reissues a section, upload the revised section and add the rows it produces; the earlier rows keep their history. The reading process is described on spec to submittal log, and the manual method is laid out in how to build a submittal log from the spec book.
Use the register to write subcontract scope
The register is the cleanest scope check you have when you write subcontracts. Filter by section and send each sub its rows: the exact items, paragraphs and categories it owes. Arguments about who provides the door hardware warranty or the roofing manufacturer's certificate end at the row, because the paragraph is right there. On Team plans and higher, subcontractor portal links let each sub see its own rows and upload packages against them, and subs join at no cost.
A Starter project reads up to 1,500 spec pages a month for 49 USD a month, or 24 USD a month billed yearly. Team covers five active projects and 8,000 pages a month for 149 USD, or 74 USD billed yearly. The background on what each submittal type is for sits in the construction submittals guide.
Frequently asked questions
Who builds the submittal register on a project?
Usually the general contractor's project engineer during buyout, from the issued for construction specifications. The architect sometimes lists required submittals in Division 01, but under most general conditions the contractor still owns the submittal schedule.
Does the register include closeout submittals?
Yes. O&M manuals, warranties, extra stock and record documents are rows from day one, marked as closeout, and on Business and Enterprise they are assembled into the closeout binder from the approved items.
What if the AI misses a requirement?
Every row shows the paragraph it came from, so you can read any section next to its rows and add a missing row by hand. You can also split or merge rows the AI created.
How long does it take to get a register?
A single section comes back in minutes. A full project manual takes longer, depending on page count and scan quality, and it still replaces days of reading section by section.